Tortured Passion
by syleria11
Summary: This is a story of renewal, friendship and possibly more. Feeling the pain and torment of past memories becoming tired and wanting an end to everything to finally be a peace, two old friends once on opposite sides of a never ending war, come together once again.. I am authors with ILoveKuramaTooMuch on this story. It will be a yaoi, if you don't like it don't read it. Please enjoy!
1. Forgiveness

**I am co-author's with my dear friend ****ILoveKuramaTooMuch on this story. She wrote most of the Takashiro parts and smoothed and edited the story, where I wrote most of the Reiga parts and the small parts of Cadeza's. We both truly hope you can enjoy this amazing story.**

**Please leave us your reviews with your feedback tellings us what you think, we would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much, and please enjoy!  
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><p><strong>TORTURED PASSION<strong>

**Chapter 1: Forgiveness**

Strolling through the bamboo forest at the Main residence, Takashiro held his right hand over his heart, as he walked along the narrow stone path. The moon stood high above his head, clear and mercilessly casting its light upon everything that surrounded the thoughtful clan leader. Not that Takashiro was afraid of some shadows, but the latest news from Twilight Mansion, along with some new appearances of Reiga and his underlings, put the otherwise cool man into a state of high unrest. Was Reiga trying to start a new war? ...Takashiro could tell that this was probably his intention, yet at the same time when he thought more about Reiga's new steps and words, there was something strongly odd about the whole thing now. Smiling slightly as he continued in his night walk, Takashiro was almost certain that he knew what had been feeling so disturbing about his friend-turned-enemy as of lately:

"I have been a fool to think that he would ever stoop as low as to suggest a different manner of bringing this war to end. Reiga will always feel uncertain and awkward around me. The roots lie in our past, which cannot be changed." A sad sigh left his lips, as he came out of the forest and onto the moonlit grass spot, where the Zweilt monument stood, shining gracefully into the night.

Looking around, Takashiro could not sense anyone around. Loneliness was his fate, his greatest companion and his haven for now. The clan leader knelt in the soft grass, his eyes tightly closed as he let himself sink into the memories of his, Reiga's and Yomi's past. For a long time there was but silence, occasionally interrupted by harsh breathing or shudders of mourning.

_'Yes, there have been many things done wrongly in the past. And that is why it should never be brought up again. My greatest wish is to protect this world from being turned into darkness... I always said that I would sacrifice anything for the sake of this goal_.' He was sure that his determination would be helpful now.

"Listen, Reiga! Wherever you are, whatever you are trying to do, let us forget about what happened in the past! I am willing to forgive you. I am not ready to lose any more of my family members to your whims and loyal followers. I do not wish to have to kill you. Can we not move on and try to do something useful with our gifts instead? Let us not be disturbed by bad memories anymore. I am challenging you to act upon your heart... not greed! I will not move out of your path, and you cannot make me! But I can hold my hand towards you, and offer my forgiveness, if you can accept it. That is all."

Suddenly feeling weak and cold from the emotional exhaustion, Takashiro tried to stand up, in the end having to hold onto the cold stone monument for support. With his back to the cold stone, he stood for a long time, as if waiting for any sign that his words were heard by the one intended person. But as only silence continued to answer him, his shoulders slumped and he walked back the same path... slowly.

"Ne, Reiga are we fated to always wait for each other's death only?"

**/**

Reiga stood by one of the tall windows of his castle, staring into a cup. He watched Takashiro through it, seeing him walking through the forest of the main residence and once Reiga heard the words that were spoken by his old friend his head tilted to the side and his eyes squinted.

_'What are you playing at, Takashiro?_' he thought to himself, _'Do you truly wish to forgive me or is this some kind of new trick?'_ Sighing lightly Reiga set down the cup and looked out the window to Infernus. He wore a sad expression as he stared out to the fields of his home land but not really seeing them. _'Is it forgiveness I am looking for? I wonder. But am I ready to forgive him?_' Leaning up against the wall he looked away and down from the window. Folding his arms in front of him he closed his eyes getting lost in old memories of the past...

After a painful while he slumped, holding his hand to his heart: _'He wants us to forget the past, but how can I forget what I have done to Yomi? How can he? That memory of me taking her life with my own hands will haunt me for the rest of my life and on into the next. I can never forgive myself for that so how can I hope to be forgiven by anyone, but, if what Takashiro says is true then...'_

A single tear fell from Reiga's eye and slipped down his cheek. Wiping it away he opened his eyes and looked back into his cup, seeing Takashiro walking away from the Zweilt monument and back up the path which he came from. Reiga quickly turned around and opened a door to the human world.

**/**

Lightning flashed down in front of Takashiro causing him to stop and look up to see a door appear and Reiga stepping through it. The Lord of Darkness stood on the platform looking down to his old friend for several long moments before stepping down to appear in front of him.

"Before you do or say anything, I have come in peace, for the moment." Reiga gave the brown haired clan leader a cold stare, but yet, hidden behind the coldness, there was some softness to his silver eyes that couldn't be explained.

"Now, if what you ask of me is true and this isn't some trick, will you accept this?" He let out a heavy sigh as he looked around the area to see that they were alone before finishing. "Will you give me a few days to think about it?" he asked calmly "I promise I will not make a move against you or anyone in our clan until I have given you my answer," Reiga said softly, seeing the unexpected look of surprise on Takashiro's face.

Reiga cleared his throat and hesitantly continued. "If Cadenza or anyone else under my control causes you any trouble within the time that I ask for, I assure you it will not be because I ordered it, that man is hard to control and does as he pleases, so you can deal with him and whoever else he brings with him, as you see fit. I will only be glad to be rid of him, you know," he laughed slightly as he watched Takashiro almost like he was studying him, seeing if he could find any hint of his true intentions behind that strange request... if there was any, as he waited for him to answer...

It seemed to take like hours as Reiga waited for an answer from Takashiro, only to be met with silence. Feeling vulnerable and exposed, Reiga looked down at the ground and shook his head.

"I knew it was a bad idea to come here," he said lightly to himself, "This is why I have a hard time trusting anyone." he brought his cold eyes back up to the clan leader standing before him.

"Somehow I had hopped, that you truly wanted to forgive me. I was even willing to accept and to forgive you as well, but your silence only confirms what I had been feeling before coming here. So tell me what is it that you truly wanted by luring me out here with your talk of forgiveness?" Reiga growled coldly.

**/**

Cadenza felt an overwhelming sensation that ran through his spin and throughout his entire body. He knew this feeling all too well: it was a call to battle.

"Heh I guess it would seem to be almost time for me to do some killing, but whose death shall it be this time?"

He walked along the long corridor of Reiga's dark castle impatiently, as he waited to be summoned by his Faolar for battle, when he caught a glimpse of Lord Reiga walking through a door to the human world.

"What is this half breed up to? I wonder."

Keeping quiet the red haired Duras snuck through that same door and followed Reiga, making sure to keep his distance but close enough to see where he was going, only to find that he was meeting with a human. And not just any human too, but the leader of the clan touched by God. Noticing there was no fighting going on during this meeting, and that the two men seemed to be only talking, he became curious. Staying inside the doorway he moved slightly closer to hear better. However, what he heard made his blood boil.

"Forgiveness? Pfft, what a ludicrous notion for a weak human! Is Lord Reiga even going to consider this? His human half is what makes him weak with all those human emotions. I guess this might give me another chance to take down another master of mine," he laughed evilly as he waited and listened to the rest of the peace talks.

**/**

Facing Reiga this time somehow came very different to Takashiro. Firstly, there was no fighting happening at the moment, and secondly, they have been talking... even negotiating. And then it dawned on the Giou leader: Reiga was showing an effort, and right now, waiting for his answer. He WAS WAITING, just standing a few feet away, looking slightly disturbed by Takashiro's prolonged silence. A rare smile broke upon his lips:

"You can have as much time as you need to think through and consider my words. They are what they sound, serious and hiding nothing from you, Reiga. I am not going to force you or anything, to accept this proposal..." Nervously, Takashiro took a step forward, watching with sadness as Reiga took a step back.

_'What am I trying to do here? Is he really going to believe me? Just like these few words are what it takes to straighten things between us? Would it not be better for this world if he killed me right here and now? After all, maybe it is my weakness, the inability to never accept a conflict for what it is...' _

And then, suddenly, he knew:

"I know that you, Reiga, and I... we might never be able to forget about Yomi. And I would never ask you to forget about her... but I am not going to blame you for what happened anymore. I have come a long way to accept the fact, that you lo-" he gulped suddenly, "loved Yomi, and that it must have caused you endless grief when you learned that she became afraid of you. It cannot be returned nor changed. So I would like for us to move on. Because, no matter what, I always thought that you were a good friend to me. We both have taken wrong steps in our pasts. I am not perfect, nor can this world ever become perfectly peaceful. But there is one thing that will never disappear from my mind: the fact, that, no matter what, you shall always be a member of my clan, and a person closest to me on personal level. I want to try for you, if you would let me, to stop this pain in your heart once, and forever."

Reiga looked skeptically at Takashiro, still unable to believe his words... His talk of forgiveness... How was he supposed to believe him, when everyone he has ever trusted has turned their backs on him, including the one standing before him?

"Then you shall have my answer in a few days, but, just so you know, if I find your words to be untrue I will kill you this time," he said in a snide voice.

Reiga's eyes became wide with shock when he heard Takashiro speak of Yomi and the pain returned to his heart. Putting his hand to his chest, he turned away and there was a moment of silence before Reiga was able to face his old friend once more.

"You are right I did love her and I was even fine with her not loving me in return, when I saw that she was in love with you but..." he trailed off sadly thinking back to the time where Yomi didn't see him as a monster and his eyes slowly closed.

"How, did she become so afraid of me when she wasn't before, I wonder?" he said half to himself.

_'Why should I even consider this? He will only betray me in the end, as he has done before. I have stopped trying to trust people, in the end they have all given me reasons not to. I haven't been accepted by either race._' Then it dawned on The Lord of darkness: maybe this entire time... This whole war was a way for him to find acceptance...? _'I did find one who accepted me but that was only my human half... Will Yuki be able to accept all of me not just my human half but my Duras half also? And maybe Takashiro was trying to accept me as well, by him saying that I am still apart of his clan and will always be... Maybe I can give him another chance and see how it goes this time.'_

Suddenly his eyes shoot open and he looked around the area when he heard soft laughter.

"Did you hear that Takashiro?!" he looked up to the gate of Infernus that still yawned open, seeing a shadow hidden in the entrance.

"I see you still can't follow my orders very well, Cadenza. What are you doing here? Why did you follow me?" Reiga demanded of the tall Duras.

There was soft evil laughter heard coming from the entrance of the gates to Infernus as Cadenza stepped out onto the platform to stare down at his Faolar. "I was itching for a fight, then I smelled something off. So I followed the scent to find you talking with this human." he turned his red gaze towards the Giou clan leader as he spoke the last few words before fiercely retuning them to Reiga.

"Tell me my Lord, you're not going to betray your convictions and believe his talk of forgiveness? Or has your weak Human half finally taken over?" Cadenza growled coldly with an evil smile on his face. He knew the answer already and his game of taking down another master was about to begin.

Annoyed and agitated with the lack of respect he was getting from the General Opast, Reiga stepped forward. "That is none of you concern, being here is apart of my plan. Now I order you to go back to Infernus and await my return." Coldness could be felt in the air as it blew through the trees around them, making the Lord of Darkness' hair dance and sway in front of his dark, silver eyes.

Cadenza let out a loud thunderous laugh "I am sorry my Lord, but I am going to have to refuse."

"Tch" the tall Duras General's defiant attitude angered Reiga more than the lack of respect and the dark haired necromancer clenched his teeth. "Then as your summoner, I am going to have to make you go back."

Knowing a battle was imminent Reiga created a barrier around the whole area.

"You can try!" Cadenza growled as he jumped towards his Faolar. At that same moment Reiga mumbled a quick spell and lifted his hand towards the red haired Duras, hitting him with a blast of power. The spell wasn't enough to stop his advance.

"Tch… What a pain." Reiga growled as he went to throw another spell at his charging follower, but was one second too late: Cadenza was already above his head, and ready to strike.

Another strong blast of power came from Reiga's left, hitting Cadenza hard in the side, knocking him away from the Lord of Darkness, giving Reiga enough time to call out his summoner's chains to bind the Duras General in place. Eyes wide, he looked in the direction the spell came from to see Takashiro holding out his hand towards Cadenza. He wore a nasty look of hatred, that Reiga, himself never saw on the clan leader's face before. _'Did Takashiro just save me?"_

The clan leader dropped his hand and opened his trench coat to pull out the Key of Solomon, "Somehow I knew I was going to need this." The tone to his voice was filled with scorn. He wasn't happy with the fact that his and Reiga's conversation had been so rudely interrupted. And what upset him the most was the fact, that the damn impudent Duras brat attacked his oldest friend and he wasn't having that. He had a plan to rid themselves of this pest.

"Reiga being that you're his summoner, you're the only one that can banish him back to Infernus." he lifted up his head to rest his gaze on the Lord of Darkness. "Why don't I help you out by keeping him distracted while you preform the spell?"

The look of shock grew on Reiga's face as he watched Takashiro's movements. _'Why is he helping me? I don't understand.'_ "I can take care of him myself." The dark haired man growled.

"You won't be able to fight him and banish him at the same time, not without help. And you know that you can't control your chains of binding at the same time as casting the banishing spell."

As Reiga listened to Takashiro, he was fighting hard to keep Cadenza bound by his chains, but the red haired Opast was on the verge of breaking free. All the while the general was laughing as he struggled in his attempt to free himself of the burning chains. The dark Lord had to think of something fast before that happened.

"You won't last long without my help." Takashiro continued as he watched his old friend struggling to keep his hold on the fighting Opast. "So let me, I am not going to watch you die before we get the chance to settle things between us. Now drop your chains and send that young brat back."

Cadenza was almost through, giving Reiga little time to think. Doing as the clan leader asked he dropped his chains from the struggling Duras. Crossing his arms in front of him and bowing his head Reiga recited the spell to send the general back to Infernus.

Cadenza lunged at his Lord the minute he was free once more, but Takashiro was much faster and had thrown up a barrier around his oldest and dearest friend before the Opast general got to him.

"Oh no you don't, you will not touch him." he growled furiously, causing the tall Duras to stop and glare over at the clan leader with a burning fiery hatred to his glowing red eyes. "Luphen!" Takashiro called for the Key of Solomon, making it float up in the air.

"Humph" Cadenza smiled wickedly "You weak pitiful humans don't ever learn do you? Do you seriously think you can win against me?"

"You would be surprised!" The Giou leader's smile was absolutely cocky and anything but calm, as he faced the red head standing before him, "We humans are stronger than you give us credit for." he said a few words under his breath and threw a hard powerful spell at Cadenza, hitting him in the chest causing him to fall a few feet back.

The tall Duras threw a spell of his own right back at Takashiro, only to hit and bounce off of the barrier that was around the brown haired necromancer which made his smile widen. "You might consider us humans as weak, but we are most certainly not. And we are defiantly not stupid." he yelled as he threw another spell at the enraged Duras.

Lifting his silver gaze, Reiga stared coldly at the Opast who was supposed to obey him under his control as he finished reciting the last few words of the banishment spell. "I, the keeper of The Key of Raziel banish thee back to whence thy came from…!"

"Humph, you might have won this time Lord Reiga, but this isn't the last you will see of me!" With those last words Cadenza was gone and Reiga now breathing heavily quickly closed the gates. Dropping the barrier around the area, the dark haired Lord stepped up to the Giou leader.

"Why did you help me?" There was a profound confusion in Reiga's voice as he asked Takashiro the inevitable question, "You could have stayed back and waited until he finished me off and been done with this whole thing."

The softness returned to Takashiro's stern look, "Because Reiga," he boldly stepped up to his old friend, "No matter what you think of me, and no matter what we have both done wrong, I will always be your friend…"

"Excuse me Takashiro-sama" Fuyutoki walked up to the clan leader's side, interrupting the two talking men. He eyed Reiga suspiciously "Is everything alright here?" he asked, not knowing what actually took place here between the two necromancers and their unwanted guest. "Should I go get the others?"

Takashiro turned away from Reiga to address his butler. "There is no need to call for help, everything is fine for now." he replied to his faithful servant if a bit curtly, seeing as Fuyutoki's eyes never left Reiga's since arriving. "What is it?" Takashiro demanded sharply. Oh no, he wasn't having his trusted aide throw glares at his best friend!

The sharp tone of Takashiro's question caused Fuyutoki to break contact with Reiga and pay his attention to the clan leader. "Something came up, that requires your assistance, sir."

Takashiro nodded his head towards the butler: "I shall be there in a moment." Bowing down respectfully to the clan leader, Fuyutoki gave Reiga one last suspicious glance before walking back up the path he came from.

Sighing heavily, the clan leader turned his green eyes back to his old friend, "Looks like our conversation will have to wait until I return. Will you wait until then?"

"I have no other choice now, or do I? I can't go back to Infernus at the moment, seeing how Cadenza wants to kill me." Reiga snapped, getting to his huge surprise an amused chuckle from Takashiro in response.

"Then I will make it back here as quickly as I can." With that being said, the clan leader turned to walk away heading up after Fuyutoki, leaving a confused and doubtful Reiga behind.

The dark Lord stood there for a while, watching as his old friend disappear up the stone path.

'_I don't understand. What is his true motive behind all of this?' _he thought to himself as he walked off in the opposite direction. He would wander the grounds of the main residence thinking on Takashiro's words of forgiveness, trying to make sense of it all... waiting...

**/**

With Cadenza finally banished back to his world of Infernus by the two necromancers, Takashiro took a while to handle some business with the clan. Reiga sat by the only sakura tree he could find at the main residence, as he waited for Takashiro's return. He truly loved sakura trees he found them to be the most beautiful thing in the world well the only thing that he thought was beautiful. There was a soft smile on his face as he stared to the cherry blossoms that were in full bloom. So many doubts were running through his head he didn't know what to do anymore.

Sighing softly Reiga looks down to the ground with a strained look on his face '_Why am I even considering this? I must be mad to think that accepting Takashiro's offer of forgiveness would change things between us. After everything that has happened... all of the lies... could I truly believe in this?'_

There was another sigh that left the Lord of Darkness lip's as he looked back up to the branches of the sakura tree. _'Then there are these feelings that have come to the surface of my heart. I don't know where they came from or how to explain them but... Could I really feel something for my old friend?'_ Annoyed and irritated with the thought he quickly shakes it away from his head the minute it came to his mind. _'Tch... No I couldn't_.'

He watched as a cherry blossom petal, fell and flutter into his lap. He stares at it for a moment before closing his eyes, lost in deep thought:

"Tell me, is it alright for me to trust in Takashiro's words... To believe, that he truly wants to forgive me?" he asks out loud, almost like talking to the trees around him. "I would like to, but I just don't know if I can." he thought about the past for a moment and all of the wrongs he had committed back then and within the thousand years of an endless war, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I have grown tired of this war, it has become meaningless now, so maybe I..." his eyes flash open when he sensed another presence nearby. He looked in the direction of it to find Takashiro leaning up against a tree, watching him with a soft warm look to his eyes and Reiga's heart suddenly raced anxiously.

"How long have you been standing there?"

Smiling slightly, Takashiro pushed himself from the tree he was leaning against and took a few steps closer to his old friend. "Long enough to hear your conversation with the trees," he laughed as he took a few more steps closer, his long hair billowing in the soft warm breeze.

"I see," said Reiga softly, looking away to the soft grass in front of him. He took a moment to think on what he was going to do. No more than 5 minutes passed by when Reiga finally stood and boldly steps over to Takashiro, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling the man closer to stare him directly in the eye.

"Tell me that your words are true, that you truly wish to forgive me," he desperately demanded of the clan leader. "I know you have told me so before, but I just couldn't believe them at the time. And your words... they have opened up something inside of me that I, myself thought was lost a long time ago." ee griped the collar of Takashiro's trench coat tighter and looked down with closed sad eyes.

He isn't used to feeling this way. Everything right now was strikingly new to The Lord of Darkness, it seemed like he never had these feelings before. And he hated it, it made him feel weak and powerless when he wasn't, but after so long of keeping everything bottled up inside he couldn't help but to let some of it out.

"I couldn't handle more lies, not from you." Looking back up to his old friend once again to see his expression change to one of understanding, he continued "So if you tell me again that they are true. I will believe you and accept your forgiveness, offering mine in return." Still holding on to Takashiro's collar, Reiga searched his face for any type of sign that told him the answer he was looking for.

Takashiro has been standing by the same tree where Reiga currently sat, while pondering things out aloud, for a bit longer already. He had listened to his old friend's cry of doubt and could well understand his anguish. _'It has been so long since you had time to relax and enjoy friendship, hasn't it, Reiga?'_

He had to go and deal with some things inside the manor before coming out, only to listen to Reiga's doubts. All the while, he was unable to think of anything else, but the black haired man waiting outside the gates... tortured and doubtful... almost as much as Takashiro himself was feeling.

_'I believe that my choice is the right thing this time,_' he thought, while dealing with Fuyutoki's fussing. Almost impatiently he fingered the collar of his yukata. He needed to get back out as soon as possible, and finish this conversation, or he would go crazy. _'Reiga, will you ever be able to trust any human? Will you be able to relax, as we see each other amongst the rest of my clan? Our clan? I would like to give you this chance, to return to a stress-free life, to be able to live a life filled with understanding and honoring your own set of values... where you would not be judged anymore. I wonder if you want the same thing... Perhaps, I was too hurried in my approach, but I could not wait any longer, I needed to say those words to you... I do not enjoy watching your pain in forced solitude...'_

As he now stood, his collar gripped in Reiga's shaking fingers and his eyes focused on that handsome, albeit pale and anguished face, Takashiro knew then and there, that his proposal had come almost late. The whirling of emotions upon his friend-turned-enemy's face, spoke for itself. Reiga was hovering, on the verge of insanity... and Takashiro could save him from such fate. His green eyes burned fiercely, as he looked Reiga in the eye back:

"I have meant every word you heard from me tonight, Reiga. I am prepared to let our past go... to move on and release you from the torture of memories. It never stopped tormenting me, knowing that you were somewhere out there, suffering and alone... I wished to have you by my side, like in the old times, where we both could rely on each other, and you grew into a wonderful, hardworking man." Sighing softly, as disbelief mirrored in Reiga's silver gaze, Takashiro lifted his left hand rising it almost to the man's cheek then thinking better on it, he let it fall back to his side.

"Do not take me wrongly" he continued, as a light growl escaped from Reiga's lips, "I am not here to feel sorry for you... I am not doing this out of mercy... I only wish to help you live once more. You have been a great friend to me in the past and I never stopped considering you as one..." his head fell forward, as he finished quietly: "I could not bear the thought of having to fight you... of having to harm you... of you going against me because you thought that there was no other way to stop you from losing your sanity. If you decide to not believe in the sincerity of my proposal then make sure you kill me here and now... because I would not be able to live with that knowledge anymore." Straightening proudly and his head held high, Takashiro's melodic voice was anything but calm, as he spoke what he knew would either be his end... or the beginning of renewal: "If, however, you decide to trust me, I will make sure, that your solitude is ended... that you once more would have a place to call your home... and people to call your friends. I swear that I would rather die, than fail you once more. I cannot bear the thought of losing you... not by my own guilt."

The clan leader's throat felt tight and dry, as he looked at Reiga, waiting to be killed or released.

"Take all the time you need. I don't mind. Just know, that I will be waiting, as there is nothing more important to me than you right now."

Shaking his head as a soft evening breeze caressed his cheeks and hair, Takashiro never broke contact with Reiga... he knew, that even if the man would reject and disappear from him, leave him... Takashiro would never be able to stop longing for his closeness. Somehow, along the thousand years of battling, he had come to miss, Reiga around. And so, there was a lot at stake tonight. Lips pressed thin, he waited.

Silence fell upon the two necromancers as Takashiro waited for Reiga to make his next move. Will this be the end of the clan leader or will this be the start of a new beginning for the two men that were once on opposite sides of a never ending war?

Silver eyes bore into Takashiro as Reiga studied his face for a moment, seeing that his old friend was staying firm in what he said about the sincerity of his words. Pushing the clan leader back a few paces as the dark lord released his hold he had on him. Then Reiga himself took a few steps back, making a wide gap between the two of them. He watched as his old friend stumbled back and quickly regains his footing to stand his ground once more. He didn't make a move from there nor did he say another word to Reiga, he merely waited.

What was Reiga to do now? Was he going to believe Takashiro this time? Was this what he truly wanted? The whirling of emotions that was spinning inside of the Lord of Darkness head was more than he could bare and his face became hidden by shadow, but the clan leader never left his sight. Suddenly the area around them grew colder, their breaths showed in vapors and danced in the air as they breathed.

Takashiro knew what was happening, he knew that this was Reiga's power at work but still he never made a move to stop it. The ground beneath Reiga's feet started to freeze over with ice and the clan leader watched as it spread out in all directions and soon everything including the trees was frozen over. Looking back at his friend turned enemy with a saddened expression, Takashiro stood up straighter and prepared himself for what was to be his end. He was really hoping it wouldn't need to come to this but he wasn't going to back away either. Just then the ice that was around them slowly started to fade into nothing and the coldness left the air. Reiga slumped breathing heavily and bowed his head forward, staring down at the ground, as he finally spoke.

"I just don't know what to do anymore, whether I should trust you or not. Trust doesn't come easy for me anymore, not with what I have been through."

Bringing his gaze back up to Takashiro, Reiga could see by his expression that he understood his meaning, and when he spoke again his voice was filled with pain.

"Being judged because of my blood and treated like I was a monster. Seeing all of those looks of hatred and fear, having the only two people that I have ever trusted turn their backs on me, all of this was more than I could handle back then. I became that monster that everyone..." he gulped, "That Yomi feared." his voice was shaky and it cracked a little as he spoke the last few words.

"I don't want to continue this anymore, it's too painful... I want an end to all of this. I want the pain to go away, but I don't know how to stop this. It has been so long that this... the fighting has become the only thing that I know."

Sighing heavily, Reiga slowly turned around, like he was done talking, looking up to the comforting pink expansion of delicate cherry blossoms once more. "Do you know how long it has been since I had last seen a sakura bloom?" he asked in a soft voice and without waiting for a reply he continued to speak. "And I'm not talking about the person I was before my powers and memories awoken. I saw many sakura's bloom then, but I am talking about the real me as I am now..." he paused to let himself remember the past for a short moment before continuing. "It's been a thousand years since I last saw one bloom," he said softly as he looked over his shoulder at Takashiro, who was now walking up next to him and he quickly looked away.

There was silence once again as Reiga tried to make up his mind on what he wanted to do. It seemed like hours had passed by and the silence was killing Takashiro but he remained quiet as he waited on his old friend, he didn't want to rush him or push him into anything in fear of losing him once more and this time it might be for good. After a long moment of silence Reiga finally made his decision, he was going to put his trust into someone once again. He closed his eyes and whispered in a low soft voice. "I... I accept your forgiveness Takashiro." Opening his eyes to give the man standing next to him a cold stare, yet behind the coldness there was pain and torment. He saw Takashiro's look of surprise at his acceptance that caused him to hesitates "J-just don't turn your back on me again, I..." he trailed off feeling his throat drying up as he spoke he swallowed to moisten it before finishing. "I couldn't bear the thought of it happening a second time."

After all that had happened that day, with all of the talks and the battle with Cadenza, Reiga started to feel the effects of the emotional exhaustion weighing down on him. He quickly became dizzy and white spots danced in his vision. Slowly, helplessly, his left hand gripped his chest over the heart, before the black haired Lord collapsed...

"Reiga!"

As he ran to help his oldest friend, Takashiro could not help thinking, that all the beautiful bright green of grass and leaves, and the soft pinkness of sakura petals floating around him, felt somewhat out of place as his brain and mind screamed under the pressure of distress mixed with relief.

"I've got you... again."


	2. The Next Day

**Hey everyone, chapter 2 is finally here^^ sorry the updates will be slow but i promise they will be worth the wait :)  
>So My co-author ILoveKuramaTooMuch and I are happy to bring you this lovely chapter :)<br>****ILoveKuramaTooMuch wrote the beginning and end also she was the beta and I wrote the middle.  
>I hope you will all enjoy, and please let us both know what you think of it be giving us your review^^ thank you so very much.<br>**

* * *

><p><em> '<em>**Tortured Passion**_' _

** Chapter two: The Next Day_._**

_'The bamboo feels so refreshing, even though the forest is just green and quiet,'_ thought Yuki as he continued down along the already familiar stony pavement, looking left and right. He had already spent over one hour outside, looking either for Luka or Sodom, to keep him company. He had been feeling restless lately and he wanted to talk to the handsome Duras about some options of how to help their clan to the final peace. So far he was not able to find either, but refused to give up and return back to the Main residence._ 'I would just be alone there, and I miss Luka.' _

Suddenly he caught the sound of a voice... a male voice speaking nearby and stopped dead in his tracks, as it came very familiar to his ears:

"I just don't know what to do anymore, whether I should trust you or not. Trust doesn't come easy for me anymore. Not with what I have been through. Being judged because of my blood and treated like I was a monster. Seeing all those looks of hatred and fear. Having the only two people that I have ever trusted turn their backs on me, all of this was more than I could handle back then. I became that monster that everyone..." Reiga gulped, "That Yomi feared." His voice became shaky and cracked a little as he spoke the last few words.

Yuki's heart clenched in pain and he would have run to where his friend was speaking these painful admissions, but when he moved closer to where he heard Kanata-san, the God's Light found out, that Reiga did, in fact, have a listener.

Takashiro Giou stood close to the black haired demon Lord, the collar of his trench coat gripped with certain level of despair in Reiga's white fingers, his hair free and falling down his shoulders, eyes fully focused at the Dark Lord's face.

Yuki held his breath fearing that the worst was about to happen, ready to run and stop these two powerful men before they could hurt each other... But time continued to tick away... and the two necromancers just stood there and kept talking. And then Yuki realized what was really happening here and he covered his mouth with his palm, trying to keep tiny hopeful sobs from escaping, while his eyes filled with tears of relief.

Reiga was offered forgiveness by Takashiro, and he accepted it? Smiling softly at the news, the boy turned to leave the two men to their private talk, when he noticed Reiga collapsing from exhaustion. It was then, that he ran without hesitation to help the only man who held true respect in his eyes...

"Kanata-san!" Out of nowhere a second pair of hands reached, helping Takashiro support Reiga's weakened body.

"Yuki?! What are-"Takashiro gasped.

"I am so sorry, I overheard you two talking, and I could not bring myself to leave." Yuki looked straight into Takashiro's face, seeing the peace of acceptance in the man's expressive eyes. "Is Kanata-san all right?"

"We need to get him lying down... can you help me bring him into my rooms?" Suddenly determined to not lose time to some overwhelming emotional wave, the Giou leader found himself feeling refreshed and strong, his eyes firmly locked upon Reiga's paler-than-usual face, his hands steadily holding that exhausted body.

"He is going to be okay with a good rest, I hope" -_ 'and some time to relax and find his own way of life once more'_ he added to himself. Somehow, Takashiro could tell, that Yuki of all clan members, did not need to be told such things. Yuki would understand. He was Takashiro's first real ray of hope, that someday he would have his old friend back, perhaps even happier, than he has ever been.

Together they brought Reiga into the Main residence under the cover of the night's darkness and helped him into a futon. With mixed feelings about the things which were most likely to come, they both stood, each swearing in his heart to never fail his best friend, ever again. After a few minutes, Yuki came to Takashiro, taking his left hand, he brought it to his cheek, then held it clasped for a while between his thin, yet warm fingers. With his breath held, the clan leader and necromancer watched as he was given God Light's blessing and then a few teardrops landed on their joined hands:

"I am so glad" Yuki's voice shook, as he let go of the now warmed hand, "That he accepted your proposal. I know, that feeling like I do, would only complicate things, but, it you ever tried to kill Kanata-san, I would stop you again, Takashiro-san. I might never see him as Reiga. So I will pray, that your choice is the right one this time. I am really happy that you got your friend back. If I can do anything, please let me know..."

With that the boy turned and left the strikingly quiet room. On his way around the porch, he turned his gaze to the main gate, finding Luka standing there, his eyes blazing silver fire into the dark night. _'How do I explain to my past lover, that I am going to support his enemy in becoming a part of this clan, and make him my friend once more?'_ With that kind of troubled thought Yuki continued on his way, silently closing the shoji door behind him.

In Takashiro's private chambers, Reiga lied unnaturally quiet and still on his back, relieved of his coat and boots. As he contemplated the turn of events which his steps caused tonight, the brown haired clan leader could not help but feel immense relief. His hand trembled, when he reached and grazed Reiga's handsome features with his fingertips, noting that his skin felt cold and a bit clammy to the touch. Standing again, Takashiro went to the next room, bringing back first one more warm cover for the sleeping man then laid his own futon down at Reiga's side.

"Take your time my friend, rest and find your peace here. I am going to protect you, no matter what. And do not think that this was just a dream. You made a choice, and we are going to see it through together. You are going to live again. So, please, do not give up, whatever comes our way. Do it for me... for us... for this world."

Peace. Endless and warm, it started to spread through Takashiro's chest, its monumental power finally managing to soothe his nerves and tense spirit. He needed to sleep... and he finally could. There was no threat coming from the man who lied next to him. As his green eyes slipped shut, one last thought flitted through Takashiro's mind:

_'Tomorrow is going to be a new day for us both... so do not leave me, Reiga. Don't you dare! I want you here, with me...for the rest of our lives... '_

The next few hours passed differently for each of the three men, who met under such trying circumstances last night. And, as Luka stood inside the gate frame, watching Yuki's closed door with furrowed brows, the presence of enemy's energy inside the Main residence was enough to have him bare his fangs towards the private chambers of the clan leader...

**/**

Flames… Everywhere there were bright burning flames… Unable to look away the scent of ash and blood filled the man's senses… The name 'Monster' echoed in his ears… he started to run only to find Her… She laid motionless as the life had been taken from Her… Panicked he reached out to Her, seeing the blood on his hands… Her blood… He wanted to scream but the air got caught in his throat.

Trapped inside his own mind, he tried to free himself in a desperate attempt to stop the madness, to push away the darkness that had consumed him… Slowly, he started to fade.

**/**

Reiga tossed and turned in his futon, cold sweat layering his brow, and a pain-filled moan passing through his lips, as visions of that fateful day danced in his head. He called out in his sleep… "It's too late… For everything and for nothing…' He groaned yet again as he turned to his side, "I'm sorry…" he whimpered quietly.

Takashiro awakened abruptly to his friend's fitful sleep. Reaching a gentle warm hand to the man he frowned, wiping sweat from his brow.

"I wish you would not suffer so," he told to the sleeping man in a light whisper, his lips parting gently as he exhaled a soft cool puff of air from his tired lungs. Sitting up he felt the stress of his stiff back and groaned before standing, slowly lifting his friend's head from the pillow and taking a seat. Carefully resting the male's head onto his lap, the clan leader soothingly stroked the Dark Lord's hair trying his best to comfort Reiga's angry sleep. "How long have you been plagued by these haunting dreams I wonder?" A sad expression marred his lips and brow as he stared down in concern at the man resting in his lap, and saw the stress and weariness of many centuries of tormenting dreams etched in the man's body.

"Do not fear… I wish to take your pain from you," he said with tired eyes and he yawned but would not sleep. He wanted to do what he could to soothe his friend's nightmare. Pain filled the clan leader's heart once he realized that whatever he was trying to do for the man resting fitfully in his lap wasn't helping to calm him. The Giou leader would not give up though, sitting there quietly, and running his fingers through the man's soft black hair giving him as much comfort as he could.

After a while Reiga finally calmed down and his body relaxed slightly, and although his breathing was still haggard, his nightmares did pass for the night. Slowly and carefully Takashiro moved the man's head back onto the pillow and made to stand. Unable to fall back to sleep the man with brown hair quietly walked over to the table and took a seat to watch over his oldest friend. Worried of what was going to come, and knowing that things would be hard from here on. No matter what happened, he would stand by the man with black hair guiding him to a better life, for he too needed the man that was resting only a few feet away from him. "You are no longer alone my dear friend. I swear to give you a real life again…" He sighed.

Moments later Reiga awakened suddenly and sat up quickly. "Whoa!" He placed a hand to his head, and feeling too dizzy to remain sitting he fell back into the bed. "Where am I?" He whispered in a harsh scratchy voice as he looked around through blurred vision. Just then the events of previous evening flooded his mind and he sat up once again. Remembering what was spoken and the decision he had made. "Whoa," touching his temple gently, he felt incredibly dizzy.

"Reiga!" Takashiro rushed over to the man's side and helped him to lie back down, "You must take it easy, you're still too weak to be moving like that."

Pushing the clan leader's hands away the dark lord glared up at the soft yet unsurprised expression of the man above. "I am fine!" Reiga growled before turning onto his side and showing Takashiro his back.

Sighing, the brown haired man stood with a soft caring smile upon his lips. He knew Reiga would react like this but found it to be cute of the Dark Lord nonetheless. Walking to his patient, he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That's good." Takashiro said feeling the other move from his grasp, which brought a frown to his handsome features. "Please do not feel as though you cannot trust me." Reiga said nothing to this comment, but continued to keep his back to the clan leader, who in turn let out a deep saddened sigh. "I hope, in time you will find it in you to trust me again."

As he heard Takashiro step away, Reiga let out a quiet sigh. It was not that he did not trust the man, but rather his doubts. Yet, right here and now, he found himself wanting to try.

"Takashiro!" He called in a light whisper stopping the man from leaving, the Dark Lord turned his silver gaze onto him, "Before I blacked out, I thought I heard Yuki calling out to me, he called my name… well…" He looked away once again, "Please tell me that wasn't a dream."

Smiling softly now the clan leader gazed at the other with soft gentle golden eyes "No Reiga, it wasn't a dream that I assure you. He helped me carry you in here…" Sighing the brown haired man stepped towards the door, "He's really happy to have you back you know…" Takashiro walked through the door giving one last glance to the man resting in the bed. "As am I," he whispered to himself before closing the door.

With the comforting thought that Yuki was there with him when he passed out, Reiga, for the first time in centuries, was able to sleep the rest of the night in peace.

**/**

The sun rose the next morning shining beautiful warm light into the clan leader's room. He was busy setting up the table for breakfast, as Takashiro worked he couldn't help but think about the night before and he sighed. He knew how much pain the dark lord was in and after witnessing firsthand the suffering he goes through every night... Takashiro's heart clenched in pain, his mind was dizzy with worry as he prepared for the morning meal.

Hearing soft movement coming from behind him, Takashiro turned to see Reiga sitting up the clan leader smiled "Good morning!"

"Same to you," answered Reiga in a cold tone, lifting his head to glare at the man. He then looked around the room, noticing the perfectly set up table in the middle of the room. "What is all of this?"

"What, this?" Takashiro gestured towards the table with his right hand, "This is breakfast... Care to join me?"

"I'm not hungry," Reiga responded falling back into the bed when he felt his head pound ever so slightly. However, shortly after the black haired man decided to join the other man at the table anyway.

Smiling Takashiro served him some food before serving himself. "Yuki came by to check on you..." Reiga raised an eyebrow but did not say a word as he took a bite of food. "He's really worried about you." Takashiro continued, "He thinks you might like to talk with him."

"I can't talk to him right now, not like this" the dark haired man mumbled under a his breath as he took another bite. "Tell him that I am okay and that him and I will talk when I am ready," he said gently with soft sad eyes. _'What's the difference, even if I did talk to him, how could he forgive me when I can't even forgive myself for the things that I have done?_' He flinched slightly when the pounding in his head became a little worse.

"Alright," Responded the clan leader with a light sigh. Seeing the man flinch Takashiro gave him a concerned look, "Are you okay, Reiga?"

The dark lord looked up from his food, his expression going cold once again causing the air in the room to get chillier. "I am fine," he growled before turning his head away, then started to feel uneasy for some reason, he did not know how to feel about being back just yet, which caused his gaze to turn back onto the brown haired man. "What do you plan to do now, Takashiro Giou?"

Narrowing his vision on the man, "My plans?" The clan leader questioned. "I plan on calling a clan meeting, that you will attend as well."

"I most certainly will not!" Reiga almost shouted, not wanting to be around the people he has been at war with. "I already know how it will go and I do not wish to see it! None of them will accept me so what's the point?!" The Lord of darkness raised his voice in an upset growl. His hand flew to his forehead for a brief moment, as the aching in his head seemed to be getting worse.

"The point, Reiga..." The Giou leader placed his chopsticks down on the mat and wiped his mouth with a napkin before he continued in a more stern voice, "The point is that they all view you as their enemy, so yes, they would not accept you right away." Takashiro reached out towards his old friend only to see him pull away from him, "But that doesn't mean that they won't." The brown haired leader tilted his head to the side at the small snort coming from Reiga's lips after hearing the last comment. "You will have to prove yourself," he then added.

"Humph... It won't make much difference." Reiga placed his chopsticks down on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose in a desperate attempt to get the annoying pounding it his head to stop. "Humans are such hateful, closed-minded creatures..." His face scrunched up as the pain in his head became unbearable.

Unable to take it anymore Takashiro reached out once again this time he was able to place it on top on Reiga's hand, "Are you sure you are okay?"

Pulling his hand from the clan leader's Reiga glared at him with chilling silver eyes, "I said I was fine!" He snapped, stood from the table and started to walk towards the door. "I am going for a walk."

Before Takashiro could do or say anything, the dark lord was already gone and the Giou leader swept the back of his left palm over his own tired eyes. That was when he realized, that even though he managed to bring Reiga from the darkness, and to his side, he was still at risk of losing the fight for the Dark Lord's sanity. His oldest friend was still far too fragile and could break at any moment, Takashiro sighed painfully at the thought. He wasn't going to let that happen. _'We will get through this together, Reiga. You just need to trust me.'_

Reiga, mindless of where he was going, quietly walked down the long porch in hopes to clear his head. He was thinking about what happened at breakfast and last night, all of it was making his head pound even more, but for some reason he couldn't stop it. _'Is this really a good idea?'_ He mentally asked himself. Sighing lightly he turned a corner without thinking. _'Why am I even here? They all hate me and won't accept me, even if I do prove myself to them, they still won't accept someone like me… so what does it matter?... I am used to it anyway...' _his face contorted in pain. '_Then there's Yuki,...'_

"Heh" Reiga bowed his head sorrowfully, _'He has every right not to forgive me... The sting of betrayal cuts deeper than any blade...'_

Coming up to another corner, he sensed a presence of another greater power... An opast? Snapping out of his deep thoughts, Reiga's lips curled up into a sly smile as he realized just who it was waiting for him around the corner.

"You would be the first one to welcome me back, wouldn't you Zess?" The black haired man questioned in a cold sarcastic voice, his headache forgotten for the moment as he came to a stop just past the corner of the building. His head slowly turned to the left and his silver gaze locked with another pair of blazing silver eyes equally as cold.

"Oh my... Those eyes of yours, like a sharp edge of steel reads to cut. What, you're not happy to see me?" Reiga laughed evilly and faced the man, holding the Key of Raziel closer to him, ready to use it at any given moment.

Luka was leaning up against the wall, his muscled arms crossed, as he glared deep into the Dark Lord's eyes, assessing him, trying to figure out his true motive. "Tch..." The opast pushed himself off of the wall and took one step closer to Reiga. "I don't like your presence here... I don't trust you and I don't trust you around Yuki," he finally spoke, his words coming out like venom.

At that moment the walls and floor boards froze over with ice. "Oh that's good..." Reiga chuckled evilly. "Keep up that distrustful attitude, it will only make things far more interesting for me." The Dark Lord then bowed his head thinking on what Luka had just said about Yuki and he sighed heavily, "You have nothing to worry about, Zess. I will not hurt Yuki again... Betraying him once was already too much for me and it won't happen again. You have my word on this." Reiga said coldly as he glanced back up at the man.

Sparks of electric power surrounded Luka in response to Reiga's ice, and the Dark Lord tensed up in anticipation. "Your words mean nothing to me Reiga!" Luka's voice was like cold fire as he spoke and his power started to build, to which it started to snow in return, as the black haired man's power built up as well.

"You tried to hurt him once... You DID hurt him, how am I to know you won't do it again?" The opast stepped even closer to the Lord of Darkness who was standing his ground, "I don't want you anywhere near him!" Luka commanded in a threatening tone.

"How dare you!" Reiga growled through clenched teeth as he sent a powerful spell towards Luka who quickly blocked it, the opast responded with a power blast that hit and bounced off of a barrier surrounding his enemy.

Reiga's sly smile returns, "Humph... You have no right to be making demands of me Zess." He quickly summoned his ice shards and sent them straight at the opast and once again they were blocked by Luka's sword Roxass.

At that moment Luka without thinking rushed towards Reiga with his sword in hand knowing he wasn't good with up close fights. The dark lord stood unflinching, nor did his eyes waiver from the charging opast.

Once Luka reached Reiga, he brought down his sword to strike upon the Lord of Darkness. Very smoothly and without hesitation, Reiga lifted up his hand and grabbed the demon's sword by the blade in mid/strike, turning it into ice the moment he touched it, causing Luka to gasp in shock.

Keeping his silver gaze locked deep to the other man's eyes the black haired Lord smirked, "If you want to defeat me you will have to do better than this." Reiga growled as he forcibly pushed on the blade sending the duras back a few steps. He then said a quick spell and threw it at the tall man who quickly dodged and it hit a nearby wall.

"Hmm, I see, that we may have to change tactics, if we are going to get anywhere in this fight." Reiga smiled evilly, both his and Luka's power were almost equal and as their fight progressed, their power energy began to shake the walls of the main residence.

"Luphen!" The Key of Raziel floated up in front of him, Luka in turn prepares a spell of his own.

"You will not threaten me again... And you WILL NOT keep Yuki from me"" The Lord of Darkness warned as he started to recite a spell from his book.

"Please stop!" A familiar voice cried out pleadingly, stopping both Luka and Reiga dead in their tracks. Yuki stepped up to the two males his expression kind and gentle despite what was going on between the two. "Do the two of you really have to fight?"

"Yuki" Reiga whispered quietly, calling back his book immediately. He turned his head away abruptly unable to look at him, "You should keep your pet on a shorter leash... Just keep him away from me..." He growled lightly, seeing Yuki for the first time since being back, he didn't know what to do. This was not how he wanted it to happen. What was Yuki supposed to think of his older brother now after seeing this? _'He's sure not to forgive me now.'_ His headache retuning, Reiga started to walk away.

"Kanata-San!" Yuki took a step closer, but was stopped by Luka grabbing his arm. The young boy looked up into the opast's worried silver eyes, and he placed a gentle hand over the other's. "It is okay Luka, just let me talk to him."

"I don't trust him."

Sighing lightly Yuki turned to face his lover, "I know you don't but I do, I know he will not hurt me, please Luka!"

Shaking his head, the tall opast still refused to let Yuki go. "How can you be so sure? He is no longer the man you once knew!" He said angrily, his body still tense from the fight.

"I know that, Luka... But he's no longer the person that you, and the rest of the clan, have been at war with, either." Yuki placed a soft hand on the man's cheek, "No matter what… he is, and always will be, my brother. I want to talk to him." Tears lined the young boy's eyes as he spoke, "I want to let him know that I am not mad at him, and that I forgave him long ago."

Unable to take the boy's mournful cry, Luka hesitantly and reluctantly let go of his arm and gently wiped away his tears. "Be careful." He gave the boy a sweet kiss on the cheek before turning to watch from a distance.

Stopping the opast to give him a quick hug, Yuki smiled tenderly at him, "Thank you, Luka!" He whisperd quietly before rushing off to catch up to Reiga, finding him sitting alone on a bench near a small baby Sakura tree. The young boy stood very still for a moment watching his old friend, the God's Light could not help but notice the doubt that was showing on his face he wanted to help the man in any way he could.

Yuki slowly approached the dark lord with a soft smile, despite tears still being seen in his soft golden eyes, "K-Kana..." The boy hesitated, not sure if he could still use the name he once knew him by and he looked down to the ground.

Reiga looked up to the sound of his younger brother's voice, sensing his hesitation. The Lord of darkness bowed his head slightly but kept his gaze on Yuki. "You can still call me Kanata if you wish... I don't mind as long as it is just you." His voice was almost a small whisper that the young boy was still able to hear.

Meanwhile, Luka watched with tentative eyes, baring his fangs at the dark lord, his strong body tensed and ready to pounce him at any moment if the man made so much as one wrong move towards Yuki.

With folded arms Takashiro stepped up next to the opast. The clan leader already knew what happened between the two powerful males, as he could feel their power resonate through the main residence. And if he was able to feel the power burst, so did the others that lived there, and Takashiro was sure the place would be in an uproar because of it. Which meant the meeting had to come sooner rather than later.

"Not causing any problems for our new guest now are you Luka?" Asked Takashiro without turning his gaze away from his old friend and his mind seemed to relax a bit once he saw Reiga was okay and talking with Yuki.

"Tch" Luka glared coldly at the leader "The problem is, Takashiro that you allowed an enemy to stay here... One that we have been fighting against for centuries," he snarled, sending his words like flames to the wind at the leader, causing the man's expression to change to one of irritation as he now gazed at the opast. "Just keep him away from me if you don't want him to get hurt."

With clenched teeth Takashiro was about to say something, but thought better on it. He didn't like Luka's words, or his implications behind them, but the Giou leader couldn't blame him for it. Instead, the brown haired man turned on his heels and without saying another word to the man walked off to make necessary preparations for the clan meeting,

_'They will not like what I have to say,... This may even break whatever trust they have in me.' _Thought the clan leader with a sigh, _'But I will not back down from this... I only hope they will understand.' _He quietly walked down the porch towards his office with his hands in his pockets.

As both Reiga and Yuki sat on the bench inside the gardens, the black haired man took a long deep breath, preparing himself for what he was fearing the most, and he turned to look his brother in the eye, "I um..." Reiga slowly let out his breath, "I am really sor..."

"Stop." Reiga's eyes went wide when Yuki stopped him, "You don't have to apologize..."

Feeling the pain in his heart overwhelm him the dark lord shook his head, "But I betrayed you." Reiga's voice trembled and he bowed his head feeling ashamed.

"It is alright Kanata..." Yuki placed a gentle hand upon the man's cheek and brought his face up to gaze into his silver eyes that were filled with pain, "I have already forgiven you."

Reiga's breath hitched in his throat when Yuki wrapped his arms around him. "I wasn't able to let go of what we had together" he pulled away to see tears forming around silver eyes, "I never gave up hope that one day you would come back... And now here you are!" The boy exclaimed as fresh tears started to show around his own eyes, "I am so glad."

Unable to take it anymore, Reiga pulled his brother into a warm embrace. "Thank you Yuki!" He whispered in a shaky voice, feeling incredibly relieved to know that Yuki did not hate him for what he had done.

**/**

A pair of large door smoothly opened... two pairs of shoes stepped inside the mansion and walked across the floor ... and then, suddenly, everything was a mess.

Takashiro Giou stood by one wall of the main hall in the Twilight Mansion, where the two men just arrived to call the clan meeting. He was shielding a slightly scared, and a bit more angered Reiga with his own body, as the entire space of the Hall was suddenly clouded with intimidatingly dark gray smoke, and all pairs of Zweilts appeared around the two cornered men in various fighting stances, with their weapons ready.

"Go away!" Hotsuma stepped forward, his back protected by Shusei, as he made a threatening gesture with his burning scythe. "How dare you, Takashiro, to bring this... This monster into our place of rest? He is an-"

Frowning now, Takashiro Giou made to approach the Zweilts' positions: "I brought Reiga here, since he agreed to stop fighting us upon the condition of receiving our forgiveness." The clan leader's eyes slid over each member of the Guardian pairs with unerring honesty, which made some shiver, as a chill ran down their backs.

"Tch! Have you gone mad, Takashiro? How can you even say that this man should receive any forgiveness? For God Light's sake, this is Reiga we are speaking about!" An unexpectedly heated proclamation by Sairi had most of his peers nodding in agreement.

"Sit down, everyone, we need to talk." The clan leader's voice became slightly authoritative, and the Zweilts all took places on the sofa or chairs placed around the hall. Reaching behind him, Takashiro sought blindly for Reiga's hand with his own shaking fingertips. When it slipped into his, almost hesitantly, he squeezed the equally cool limb gratefully, taking a great measure of comfort and power from it. The man then continued.

"It was me who brought Reiga here. And yes, despite all your beliefs, I was able to forgive him" (there was a soft gasp behind Takashirio's shoulder, and brown haired man would have smiled at that sound of surprise from Reiga) "completely" he finished, "Because I believe that our cooperation will be able to stop this endless war."

"You fool!" Everyone gasped at that, while Kuroto walked forward, stopping just a few feet away from the clan leader, his katana already drawn. "He is an enemy, and I am going to slice him right here and now. You must be really ill, if you cannot hear the nonsense that you are sprouting at us, Takashiro!" With that, the Zweilt's mouth pulled into a thin line, and the young man charged towards Reiga, fully intending to kill the Dark Lord.

"Yameru!"

Several shouts could be heard, and someone's powerful angry growling as well, but everything happened so fast that no one really knew when, or how.

Yuki stood with his arms spread reaching in front of him towards Takashiro, who was being shielded by Reiga's own body now. The Dark Lord quickly slipped in front of his dearest friend, knowing that even if he were killed, Takashiro would be safe and still alive. He did not care much for anything else right now. And that was the moment, when Yuki ran quickly from the back of the hall, and ended up standing exactly in front of Reiga, with the tip of Kuroto's katana almost piercing the boy's chin, as the weapon was aimed to strike at Reiga's heart.

Another deep growl rent the air, and Kuroto's eyes widened at the realization just who it was making such a powerful... and really madly pissed sound. His katana had disappeared back by his waist with the speed of a jet plane, and he managed to make a safe distance away from Yuki before Luka could blast him into the far away wall, as he grabbed the boy's elbow and tried to pull him away.

But Yuki kept standing right there, even as tears started to roll down his pale cheeks. The boy just would not budge, leaving Luka with no other chance.

"You cannot stand there, Yuki. It's dangerous," the Opast growled lightly, catching a confused sight from Reiga.

"I would never hurt Yuki... ever," said the black haired Lord into the tense silence of the hall, clearly, "You can relax, Zess." His mouth thinned into a sarcastic smirk, as his silvered eyes flashed around the other faces present, reading their disquiet. "I would, however, have difficulty saying the same thing about the rest of you, seeing as you would let your leader get skewered by the weapon of your own kind. I did not come here to cause breaks inside the Giou clan, nor do I wish to launch myself into another war against Takashiro... ever again. That is, if you lot of kids think that you can behave like adults?"

From where she stood, Tooko was unable to pay much attention to Reiga's words, since her mind kept replaying the horrible moment when Kuroto almost impaled Yuki with his katana. Right in front of her, Hotsuma was growling something under his breath and would not stop, which only fueled the girl's distress. She looked at Yuki's pale face, and noticed Takashiro's pained expression, even as the leader was still being shielded by Reiga.

"The God's Light can't force us to accept his friend," Tsukumo whispered beside her, "But he would rather die than ever allow that man face his darkness again." The silver haired Zweilt grew ever-so-pale as he listened in on Yuki's thoughts, and a tiny flash of anger entered his eyes. "He wants to have Reiga with him... to protect him," the boy's eyes widened, "Against anyone, and every single one of us, if need be," he finished in an almost devastated whisper. Instantly, his mind picked up even more of Tooko's distressed thoughts, the one of Yuki leaving them once again being so loud that he winced, and had hard time resisting the urge to cover his ears.

Takashiro Giou deliberately walked around both of his very alive shields, earning himself shocked gasps from everyone in the room, as he once more faced the Zweilts. "I am not here to plead mercy for your enemy. Remember it was I who founded this clan, and brought you all together, so that we could fight the darkness? I am here, because my efforts and fighting tactics of over thousand years span, have all failed. I always thought that taking up an aggressive stance would serve our purposes the best. But lately I have grown unsure about this idea." The man's skin turned slightly whiter, and his head spun, making Takashiro feel slightly dizzy even as he continued his speech. He was determined to explain his steps, and for both his and Reiga's sake, he would do so.

"I believe that all of you have once, or even more times, visited the Monument in the Main residence. Many lives have been lost, but we have to win yet, to prove their sacrifice justified. So I requested of Reiga, if he would be willing to accept my will to forgive all the pain which came up between us in the past, and if he would try to do the same." Hearing discontent murmurs from the small crowd of his listeners, the clan leader raised one slender hand. "You may think that Reiga is the only reason why all of evil exists. The truth is though, that I also have guilt in this situation... and that times have just always been unkind to either me or him, so we never managed to find even the tiniest common grounds to talk peace." Reaching his hand behind him, Takashiro pulled at the sleeve of Reiga's suit coat, and brought the Dark Lord to his side once more, squeezing one fragile wrist gently in a silent gesture of support.

"I want to believe this man, that he is the same as we are, that in joining his force with our clan he can help us bring back peace into this world."

"I can't even listen to you anymore! I am SOOO DONE here! I'm not going to obey your stupid idealistic tries. You are really miserable, Takashiro!" Hotsuma's harsh growl shook all the other Zweilts into their very cores, and broke the silence. They have all heard what Takashiro had just said... but somehow their brains refused to comprehend such possibility. Helplessly they looked at each other, waiting what would happen next.

"I am leaving this clan. How could you do this to me? To US?! I cannot trust you anymore!" As Hotsuma spit his words at Takashiro, everyone held their breaths, as they watched the handsome blond Zweilt make his way towards the outer door, entirely disregarding the fact that Shusei was not following him.

Then, another pair of male shoes tapped against the floor of the main hall, in the same direction… and another.

Shocked, and with unbearable pain blooming inside his chest, Giou Yuki watched as Hotsuma left the Twilight Mansion, followed by Kuroto, Sairi, and, finally, Senshirou. His mouth opened, as he tried to call his friends back, wanting to tell them, that Kanata-san was not so bad. That he was just unhappy... and in lots of pain... and alone! But no sound managed to leave his lips... and in the end the heavy door of the mansion clicked shut just when he started to run after them.

In the middle of a large, spacious hall, an icy cover appeared across the wall, and the air grew chilly. Takashiro cast a quick glance at his black haired friend, noticing the thin, upset line of Reiga's lips, and the hollow light entering his silvery gray eyes. He needed to do something to calm the man... but his own mind seemed too dizzy and anguished with the Zweilts' reactions he had just witnessed, that the clan leader only swayed on his feet, his eyes taking in the sight of a lonely Shusei, who looked more than distressed without Hotsuma's presence... of Ria, whose face was a mask of pure shock over Sairi's departure... and finally of Yuki. And that was where Takashiro's breathing hitched in his throat.

In the middle of the mansion hall, Yuki stood paler than snow, with his hands clenched into tight fists and his eyes free of tears. The boy's face wore not the usual mask of confusion and sadness, but a determined expression, as he looked firmly at Reiga:

"I never stopped trusting you... so now I am asking you to return some of that trust, and give us time. We just need to come to terms with your presence around. I know that it will happen... and you need to be ready to live once more." And as the young boy gave his best friend a beautiful smile, Takashiro was able to spot tiny bits of life returning to the black haired Dark Lord's expression... and the remaining members of the clan spoke their support for Yuki's and his effort without fail.

A loud thunder sounded outside the mansion, and the door to the residence opened at once, revealing a new visitor to their eyes. A man wearing a beautiful uniform walked inside, long tresses of black hair, flowing about his head, as he stopped in front of the Dark Lord:

"Have you finally become weak and betrayed us, Faolar?"


End file.
